Adequate skin care is a simple and effective means for maintaining not only healthy skin but overall health as well. Damaged skin fails to protect against toxic, irritating substances and germs in the environment. Cleaning, moisturizing, and nourishing skin is accordingly extremely important; indeed, the literature is replete with cleansing and moisturizing lotions for restoring and maintaining the skin's healthy state. Skin care is particularly important for food service employees and health care workers who must wash their hands frequently.
Cellulosic substrates coated with lotions are well known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,665,426 to Krzysik et al., is directed towards a lotion formula that can be applied to a tissue, which transfers the lotion to the user's skin in order to reduce irritation and redness. The lotion composition of '426 is solid at room temperature and is applied to substrates by rotogravure printing process. U.S. Pat. No. 5,871,763 to Luu et al., as well is directed towards a lotion formula that has to be melted prior to its application to a substrate for skin care treatment. The lotion composition of '763 is melted by the heat produced by the hands of a user of the cellulosic substrate to enable the lotion's transfer to the user's skin. Another lotion treated substrate is described in U.S. application Ser. No.10/483,633 (Publication No. US 2005/0031847), where two separate and distinct phases, lipid and aqueous, are applied to a substrate to facilitate cleansing of skin. Further, there is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,987,632 to Rowe et al., a cleaning wipe treated with a composition containing detergent, which is leached out upon contact with water. See also U.S. Pat. No. 5,525,345 to Warner et al.
There are also known lotions containing anti-microbial and pH balancing agents to protect and condition skin. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,238,682 to Klofta et al. is directed towards a tissue treated with anhydrous skin lotion, which is semi-solid at room temperature, containing antimicrobial components in addition to hydrophilic solvents and surfactants. See also U.S. Pat. No. 6,352,700 to Luu et al., which is directed towards a substrate treated with a lotion, which is solid at room temperature and contains a skin pH balancing compound for maintaining a proper skin acid mantle. Other lotions containing antimicrobial agents include U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/608,661 (Publication No. US 2004/0039353), which is directed towards wet wipes containing a Yucca species extract as an antimicrobial agent; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/851,273 (Publication No. US 2002/0031486), which is directed towards an antimicrobial cleansing composition, containing little or no volatile alcohol, that may be used alone or in combination with lotions and a like; U.S. patent Application Ser. No. 09/738,365 (Publication No. US 2002/0002124), which is directed towards an antimicrobial cleansing compositions that has a pH of from about 2 to about 5.5.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,383,505 to Kaiser et al which is directed towards an antimicrobial lotion for topical use in a form of oil-in-water emulsion; additionally, similar subject matter is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,482,423 to Beerse et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,488,943 to Beerse et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,284,259 to Beerse et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,258,368 to Beerse et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,183,763 to Beerse et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,210,695 to Beerse et al. as well.
Lotions that are solid or semi-solid at room temperature and require melting prior to application to substrates, also referred to as “hot” lotions, have numerous drawbacks. For one, semi-solid or solid lotions require cumbersome and costly heating systems such as melting tanks and heated equipment to deliver the lotion to the substrate. Additionally, cleaning of build-up and solidification of lotion on the conveyer roll of the production line during and after the application process is another cumbersome and costly procedure incurred in connection with so called “hot” lotions. Incorporation of water-based additives in such lotions is difficult, due to phase separation and lack of uniform distribution of the additive in the lotion, either before or after application onto the product substrate. Further, “hot” lotions have a tendency to become stiff when excess lotion is used, and the final products tend to leave smears when used.
It has been found in accordance with the present invention that an emulsion lotion can be applied to paper towel at room temperature and immobilized on the towel surface. The emulsion composition is selected such that it forms an aqueous gel lotion when mixed with water, which gel is readily transferred to a user's skin when the product is used.